Monday, 24 March 2014

TRavEl TipS....!

So bumling is still small, luckily I didn't need much to keep him entertained but here are some pointers nonetheless:

1. Dont worry if he doesn't eat. For each trip I carried daliya and aloo paranthas which he hardly ate. However, he loved eating fruits, bananas and apples and loved his cheese and drank lots of water and milk. I think so long as the baby is cheerful and happy let him be.... let him eat as much and drink as much ... because travelling could be a very different experience for him, so like Siddy whenever he is somewhere new or super exciting food becomes of less priority. But my rule is that if he isn't cranky and if he is taking in some amount of nourishment he is ok.

2. Be quick to understand if he is sleepy.... turn down the music ask everyone to quieten down and start your sleeping routine, be it singing lullabies or rocking him gently to sleep... What i realised with bumling is that he would be too excited to sleep but would also be too sleepy to stay awake and the fight he would have with himself was kinda funny but not really!! Kids are like that they don't want to miss out on the fun.... but you know if he doesn't sleep he'll just get cranky... So help him calm down and sleep.

3. Carry toys! always always carry toys.... some noisy ones, some soft ones... you'll need them all!!
But give them to him one by one... let him get completely bored of one before you give the other.... you need to keep them distracted for the span of the journey....Also give them empty bottles and newspapers (not for very long since the ink isn't good for them) and any other random thing you can find that can give you ten minutes of peace!!

4. Carry lots of hand Sanitizer! Especially if you have a train journey in your itinerary. My poor OCD Hubby went nuts cleaning Siddy's hands and face in the train! Can't wait for him to grow up and run around the train touching everything... then whats Aadi going to do!!!

5. Don't forget your basics... diapers, wipes, napkins, bibs, change of clothes, socks, shoes, basic meds you think he might need (like i always carry arnica a homeopathy medicine for when kids fall or get hurt it helps calm them down {please check with your doc don't go by what i say only!!})

6. If in a train or bus, walk with him... let him get out of his seat.... I realised since bumling had recently started cruising... he wasn't liking being in one space... So aadi kept taking him for these little walks where he would see everyone else in the train especially the other kids... he enjoyed that. And during th car ride, every time we stopped for food or chai and coffee we would let him stretch his chubby little legs as well...

7. Stay calm and Happy and automatically he will be calm and happy! Seriously, babies are super sensitive and intuitive to your emotions and state of mind. So if you get hassled and edgy he will get cranky and more cranky!!!

Chill, enjoy the trip, enjoy the journey... because it really isn't just about the destination you know... You can create some amazing memories about the travel itself!